TICKY FULLERTON, PRESENTER: The two big miners - Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton - did not want to comment on camera today about the leadership change.

Not so shy was the arch critic of the resources super profits tax (RSPT), billionaire Andrew Forrest of Fortescue Metals.

ANDREW FORREST, FORTESCUE METALS: We heard you, new Prime Minister, very clearly, that you are going to negotiate. We welcome that but we do say to you that every day the RSPT endeavour drags on, the Australian economy, our employment and our ability to recover those projects which have been suspended, it further damages our economy.

I'd ask you to really step up. Let's either take this tax off the table or put it into a position where it can really grow Australia's economy, which the now I think dead in its original format RSPT does not do.